The ultimate goal of the proposed studies is to establish Bowman-Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC) as an anti-inflammatory agent. This SBIR/Phase 1 grant proposal has two goals. The first is to establish that Bowman Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC) can be used as an effective anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease. UC will be chemically induced in mice by adding 5% dextran sulfate sodium to the drinking water. The diet of some experimental groups will be supplemented with BBIC, and the effects of BBIC on histopathological alterations occurring in UC measured. The second goal of this proposal is to establish biological and biochemical assays to predict the efficacy of BBIC during the manufacturing of the product for use as an anti-inflammatory agent. Chymotrypsin inhibitory activity will be used for the biochemical parameter, and lipid peroxidation inhibition for the biological parameter. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: A protease inhibitor derived from soybeans, called the Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) will be evaluated as an anti-inflammatory agent in this SBIR grant proposal. An extract of soybeans enriched in BBI called BBI concentrate (BBIC) will be used in these experiments, and ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, will be used as an in vivo model of inflammation. The aim of this program is to bring BBIC to market as an anti-inflammatory drug to be used in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory diseases in human populations.